Seventh- and eighth-grade students at Tate’s School in Cedar Bluff, decided they did not have enough snow this winter — so they designed, tested and built their very own snow machine.

“I wanted to assign them a big, mind-blowing task that solves a problem most adults don’t know how to solve,” Alex Edwards, science instructor said. “Designing and building a snow machine tests their understanding of the properties of water by creating a false atmospheric environment.”

The snow machine was made from supplies found largely on campus such as an air compressor, pressure washer, clamps, a ladder, metal poles, and a few specialty items.

Students set up and started testing their snow machine “in the wee hours of the night” earlier this month and spent the night on campus. They were ready when the temperature finally fell to 28 degrees, which allowed them to begin making snow. The machine will blow snow up to 20 feet.